Chapter Text
Giyu Tomioka considered himself a patient man, when you've been through so much in your life you kind-of have to be. He tried to avoid all social interaction when possible though, and he would've thought that'd be easy in the DS Corps. But a certain insect themed hashira saw to him never having any peace when he's anywhere close to her.
Pokes prodded his shoulder as the 2 hashira walked to their next mission site. They had time to get there so no need to run, but this incessant poking almost made him want to. The shorter girl also spoke to get his attention "Hey, hey, hey Tomiokaaaa-san it's not nice to ignore, why can't we just be friends" she said, using the honorific to add to her bothering of him. She was enjoying this too much and he was barely tolerating it.
If he was being honest, he didn't mind her company. Of the hashira she was one of them who was nicer to him on average. He also did sometimes enjoy teasing her back when he felt like it because her reactions reminded him of an angry mosquito. But times like this, he wishes he could tape her mouth shut, for someone so smart and surprisingly sadistic she really seemed to enjoy being a nuisance to him.
After what felt like an eternity he stopped walking, watching her out the corner of his eye. She looked a bit confused but never lost her stride of buzzing around him. After waiting for the right time, he grabbed the hand that was poking him and she stared at him in surprise. After a few seconds she started to get annoyed "...Please unhand me Tomioka" she said in a polite albeit semi-threatening voice. He lifted his other hand slowly and she watched it in confusion. Before he pointed a finger and swiftly pressed it on her face, in the middle of her forehead. Causing her head to move back in an exaggerated way. She stood in complete shock for a moment. He simply let her hand go and continued walking. None the weary of the hashira behind him considering how much she could injure him without impeding on their mission.
Shinobu always was fond of Giyu, she couldn't tell why though (it's because they're so similar). Even when she first met him when she was younger she found his whole aura and personality interesting, though also very dry. He never talked so she liked to take it upon herself to get him to, rather it be just passive conversation or annoying him. Though occasionally he would respond back with a tease or action she didn't like and would find herself angry at him. Like at this very moment.
Shinobu quickly caught up next to him and looked at him with arched eyebrows but still smiling "That was not very nice, you should be mindful on how you touch a woman". He never turned to look at her but spoke "I never complain when you touch me, so don't complain when I do it." Shinobu made it a point to poke him in the cheek "Fair point...but I'm not you". Giyu gently grabbed her hand off his cheek this time, and she expected him to try and do the same thing he did minutes prior again. But he simply just put their hands down and kept a hold on hers, preventing her from keeping up her assault. Shinobu felt her face grow red and she hated that she didn't know why, simply turning her head away and not saying anything for the rest of the journey. Giyu was pleased but confused to her reaction but finally enjoyed his quiet.
The 2 finally reached their mission site as night fell, the full moon shining above them. Simply a small village where demon sighting were on the rise these last few days. They were informed the demons liked to take human hostages and slowly draw them of their blood. They needed to be dealt with quickly. Giyu released her hand as they entered the village, which led a small amount of disappointment for Shinobu but quickly went away as she had to focus on the mission. They walked around asking any villagers what they knew until they pointed in the direction of where they would hear the demons running to. Now it was time to get this done.
Following some blood trails, they found where the demons generally must be. Seeing a few human corpses stripped around, not too many. But Shinobu was angry nonetheless. The path separated into where likely 2 different groups of demons hid. "I think it is best we separate here, I'll handle them on this side. Good luck and don't get hurt, Tomioka" as she quickly jumped down the right path. Giyu slowly approached the other path and heard the noises of some demons. After getting a good idea of how many were there he jumped into action. There was only 4 there and 2 of them went down pretty easily. The other 2 gave issue though.
One of the demons was very small, almost like the size of a baby who was very fast and could manipulate their body to evade their head from being slashed. The other could control the muddy area around them, creating puddles and ground that could cause you to quickly sink. Giyu had to be very agile on his feet as the smaller demon jumped around him and the other tried to get him into a hole on collapsing earth. After getting an opening, Giyu jumped onto a tree and quickly lunged forward. Dicing up the small demon until he saw it start to dissolve. As he landed though, the other demon managed to place a sinkhole right at his feet causing him to stumble. "You will not take me!" the demon said before burrowing under the ground. Giyu cursed himself for letting it get away and then ran to where Shinobu would be, fearing the demon may try to catch her off guard.
Shinobu was doing well in her area, having killed majority of the demons and finding the unconscious humans they had bound up and would drain for blood. Only 1 demon lay in front of her, begging for its life. She just laughed as she tormented and ridiculed the demon. The insect hashira just couldn't help herself, her pure hatred of demons was so intense whenever she had the chance to give them a bit of suffering she did. Suddenly though, the ground beneath her feet changed, causing her to be quickly taken into something like quicksand. She tried to jump but the more she struggled the more she sank. The other demon used this as a chance "HAHAHA, foolish girl!". She scolded herself for her stupidity until the demon extended it's nails and jumped high.
Giyu arrived to see Shinobu had gotten herself into a bad situation. He saw the ground demon and ran at it, evading the holes and traps it tried to put under him. He finally made it close before plunging his sword into the neck of the demon. As he cut through though, the demon turned it's own body into a material that trapped his blade. He could overpower it, but he didn't have that kind of time. The demon by Shinobu had come down hard with an attack from the sky and had knocked her sword out her hand. As the demon prepared to land one on Shinobu's body Giyu quickly through his sword and the demon it was stuck in into a rock and ran towards Shinobu. As Shinobu tried to protect her vitals from the incoming attack Giyu arrived in between them. Blocking the attack with one hand but not before the demon gashed some parts of his shoulder and back. "Kocho, here!" in his other hand laid the sword Giyu retrieved from the ground. Shinobu quickly stabbed the demon in various parts of it's body. The demon recoiled and disintegrated as the poison took over.
Before they could feel any comfort though, the ground demon started to sink her deeper into the trap. Now dragging Giyu along with her. With not much time to think as she quickly reached chest level in the trap she panicked. Giyu grabbed her sword and threw it at the demon, embedding it into it's chest and entering enough poison for the demon to finally die as well. As the demon died, the traps it laid loosened so Giyu was able to pull himself out and also get Shinobu. She was relatively unharmed, just shaken by the entire thing, while Giyu's injuries were very apparent, especially after he opened some of them more when he threw the sword.
Giyu didn't let the pain phase him though, and retrieved his sword along with Shinobu's. She felt immense guilt, this wouldn't of happened if she just killed the demon like she should've. "Hey...I'm sorry, this is all my fault. If I had just-" Giyu cut her off "It's okay, don't worry. Let's just free these people so we can leave.". Shinobu rushed over to him "Wait, let me look at your injuries". The wounds were not super bad, but noticeable and had some blood leaking out of his uniform. "I'll take care of these after we take these people back to the village. The kakushi will come after that to treat them. We can go to a nearby Wisteria house after this". Giyu just nodded as he freed the people and loaded them onto his back.
Now currently Shinobu sit inside the Wisteria house treating Giyu's wounds, electing to do it herself instead of the doctors that normally stop by in the houses. They both had taken off their DS corps uniforms and were just wearing a simple hakama, A blue one for Giyu that had the top undone so Shinobu had easy access to his injuries. With a purple one for Shinobu that was a bit too big for her. She still felt such guilt for what happened, her hatred had blinded her again causing her to be reckless. "I really am sorry Tomioka, that was so awful of me. I almost got myself killed and you were injured saving me.". Giyu just sighed "I told you, don't need to apologize. It happens to everyone. All that matters is that you are okay". Shinobu wasn't pleased with that answer "But you're not...". Giyu turned his body to now face her "I'll be fine none of these are that deep and not like I matter that much anyways."
Shinobu was taken aback by his answer. She would occasionally notice when he would degrade himself or think less of himself and she always hated it. She hated how he was inflicted with the same thoughts that plagued her own mind. She lifted her hand to his shoulder "You do matter, to the DS corps...and to me". They just stared at each other after, and Shinobu frankly didn't know what came over her. But soon she leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. Not long after she pulled away and panicked "Why do I keep messing up tonight, please forg-" Giyu just grabbed her waist and pulled her back in to where their faces were close again. "Don't worry" he said in a low voice before she settled down and then closed their lips together again.
Neither of them anticipated this, and didn't know how this would go for them, but at least for tonight under the full moon. This was okay.